People around the world are desperately seeking a breakthrough in sustainable, low-cost means for generating and storing electricity.
Clean, sustainable energy sources like solar, tidal, and geothermal sources, can power the energy system of the present invention. Electricity is the optimum form of energy-output, due to its high transmission efficiency and ubiquitous use in homes, businesses and future automobiles. It is especially appropriate when combined with new high-energy storage capacitors, which are being co-developed and co-refined with the present invention.
Truly global impacts from successful implementations of this invention can include the following: Virtual elimination of “oil addiction,” reversal of global warming and revitalization of global economies.
The prior state of the technology includes ordinary means for photovoltaic and solar-thermal energy conversion. However, all practical prior solutions have several major limitations. For example, practical photovoltaic devices do not store energy (in themselves), are generally costly, must be customized for each installation, require delicate transparent enclosures and bulky mounting structures (usually on rooftops).
The real estate needed for utility-scale energy farms can be a significant cost penalty, whereas the present invention does not require new land. Instead the present invention can make dual-use of existing asphalt-covered areas (e.g. roads, streets, parking lots).
The present invention significantly improves-upon and extends the practical utility of energy conversion technologies that employ variable capacitors. While the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,994 B1 does describe how moving capacitor plates can convert mechanical energy to electricity, it does not show how to make a practical in-asphalt energy conversion and storage system, as is shown in the present invention.
Therefore, the present invention fulfills an urgent need with new and unique solutions.